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There was clearly more than enough talent on that team to win more than 2 games last year. Getting a new (as well as an impromptu interim) Head Coach, a Rookie QB (as good as he has been playing) and a few street veterans is not enough to propel a team from 2-14 to potentially 12-4.

They definitely quit. I don't know if they purposely lost, but I'd say the players definitely didn't give it their all. In the first month or so of the season they did play alot of teams very competitively and came within plays of winning quite a few games. Then wen it became apparent they weren't making the playoffs they became downright useless. Clearly quit IMO, it worked out very well for them though.

If last year isn't a indication that the NFL needs a draft lottery I don't know what will make it change. I would bet that a team will suck again for Manziel (if he will be that got once he can be drafted)

If last year isn't a indication that the NFL needs a draft lottery I don't know what will make it change. I would bet that a team will suck again for Manziel (if he will be that got once he can be drafted)

My feeling is that a QB really is that important. Do you think Irsay (and it would have had to be Irsay since Caldwell and Polian got canned) gathered the players and said, "lose em all"? If that happened, I'm sure some player would mention it to the media after moving on from the team. I do think having a crap QB disheartens players, but I strongly doubt an intentional flop.

My feeling is that a QB really is that important. Do you think Irsay (and it would have had to be Irsay since Caldwell and Polian got canned) gathered the players and said, "lose em all"? If that happened, I'm sure some player would mention it to the media after moving on from the team. I do think having a crap QB disheartens players, but I strongly doubt an intentional flop.

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No but as an owner you have some of the strongest power of sentiment over your team (besides the HC). Irsay wasn't exactly chipper last year. I think there are ways to make your team lose as bad as they did last year without being explicit. The success they are having this year makes that seem even more so.

This "talent" you speak of from last year is completely gone. You don't keep around scrubs from a 2-14 team. They cut nearly everyone. Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Gary Brackett, Tamme is in Denver, Lacey in Detroit. Gonzalez was cut I think and the Pats actually brought him in and then cut him. Their entire LB core except Kavell Conner was cut or not resigned. Angerer lost his job to an ex-CFL player and is now depth.

Look at their offense. Two rookie starting TEs, rookie starting RB, castoff O-linemen, new starting WR, two rookie WRs, and a rookie QB.

The single biggest reason why they went 2-14? No Peyton Manning. Remember that their team is built to win with a lead. That lead comes from having Peyton under center. Once the Colts build a lead, teams are forced to throw against their tampa 2 coverage which was actually very good against the pass. It worked in their favor. That's why the Colts rarely ever blew double digit leads but it did happen a few times.

Now put in a scrub like Curtis Painter under center or Kerry Collins/Dan orlovsky, and that entire philosophy crumbles. How do you get a lead with these guys under center? They suck. That's why they went 2-14. Completely different philosophy this year.

No but as an owner you have some of the strongest power of sentiment over your team (besides the HC). Irsay wasn't exactly chipper last year. I think there are ways to make your team lose as bad as they did last year without being explicit. The success they are having this year makes that seem even more so.

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That's the thing, I think the owner has some influence, but not that much. Especially when you have a coach playing for his job, players playing for contracts, guys with some pride, etc. Certainly I don't think anything rising to the level of throwing games happened, maybe just feeling dejected and not being able to quite get up for Sundays as well as they're doing this year.

That team made a Business Decision to roll over like a dog when they learned about Peyton's fate last year. No doubt in my mind. They purposely rolled over like puppies to land Luck. Everyone knows it. I posted about it all last season after watching their second half performances in numerous games. Leads mysteriously evaporated, balls were mysteriously dropped and fumbled, on and on and on. It was sickening.

I'll never forget the game against Cincinatti when they had the Bengals beat and Pierre Garcon literally held the ball up in traffic before he went to the ground for no reason whatsoever and he held the ball up allowing 3 Bengals to literally tip it out of his hands for the game winning fumble recovery when the Colts literally had the game won. It was bogus. Why the commisioner never reviewed that game and others is beyond me.

If last year isn't a indication that the NFL needs a draft lottery I don't know what will make it change. I would bet that a team will suck again for Manziel (if he will be that got once he can be drafted)

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I hope that never happens. I hate draft lotteries.

Is it better that a truly bad team gets the difference maker, or, for example, in the NBA, for an injured, but not bad team like San Antonio, to get to draft the difference maker in Tim Duncan?

If you are a player on a team that is so bad that they get the top pick, aren't you a likely player to be replaced?

If you think the Colts were legitimately trying to tank the season, why didn't they stick with Curtis Painter? A team that is trying to tank is not going to start Dan Orlovsky with 5 games left. They started Orlovsky and he won 2 of the 5 last games. Almost won a 3rd one and lost to us by a touchdown. This argument just doesn't hold any water.

This "talent" you speak of from last year is completely gone. You don't keep around scrubs from a 2-14 team. They cut nearly everyone. Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Gary Brackett, Tamme is in Denver, Lacey in Detroit. Gonzalez was cut I think and the Pats actually brought him in and then cut him. Their entire LB core except Kavell Conner was cut or not resigned. Angerer lost his job to an ex-CFL player and is now depth.

Look at their offense. Two rookie starting TEs, rookie starting RB, castoff O-linemen, new starting WR, two rookie WRs, and a rookie QB.

The single biggest reason why they went 2-14? No Peyton Manning. Remember that their team is built to win with a lead. That lead comes from having Peyton under center. Once the Colts build a lead, teams are forced to throw against their tampa 2 coverage which was actually very good against the pass. It worked in their favor. That's why the Colts rarely ever blew double digit leads but it did happen a few times.

Now put in a scrub like Curtis Painter under center or Kerry Collins/Dan orlovsky, and that entire philosophy crumbles. How do you get a lead with these guys under center? They suck. That's why they went 2-14. Completely different philosophy this year.

If I was an NFL player the last goddamn thing I'd do is play ****ty on purpose just so a team that might cut me at a moment's notice can draft and overpay some college phenom.

If I was an NFL coach the last goddamn thing I'd do is coach ****ty on purpose just so a team who might fire me and leave me with no options but going to some crappy team that just canned a coordinator just so the team can draft and overpay some college phenom.

If I was an NFL front office exec the last goddamn thing I'd do is handle the personnel and business side of things in a purposefully deleterious manner just so a team that might fire me and hire some other coach can draft and overpay some college phenom.

I mean it just makes no sense for any of the people in charge of football decisions from the brass down to the field. These are people whose jobs are on the line year to year and there is a thin margin of error between making millions playing/coaching in the NFL and coaching some ****hole college team.

They aren't going 12-4 by the way, probably 9-7 or 10-6 and a 1st round playoff exit.

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Quick Question to you my friend, based on your being able to create an ID and get onto this site, it looks like Indy has come a long way, there is finally internet access out in corn country, that is tremendous news. Look, your team rolled over like dogs for Andrew Luck, everyone knows it. Your team really made alot of people question the intergrity of the game alot last year. You should be ashamed.

If you think the Colts were legitimately trying to tank the season, why didn't they stick with Curtis Painter? A team that is trying to tank is not going to start Dan Orlovsky with 5 games left. They started Orlovsky and he won 2 of the 5 last games. Almost won a 3rd one and lost to us by a touchdown. This argument just doesn't hold any water.

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Please. Luck was the prize. They dumped Peyton and played for Luck. The game they lost by a TD was to us.It wasn't anywhere near as close as the score indicated. No real way they expected they'd actually beat us. They lost the remaining games handily....guess it got too close for comfort. Painter wasn't benched until the remaining schedule made it clear they could not screw up getting Luck. It was a calculated season, period.